The neti pot really is magic. Disgusting, disgusting magic.
I would also recommend a long, hot shower. Sit down in the tub if you feel woozy, but keep the door closed and the fan off, and let the bathroom get steamy as possible. I sometimes find that letting the shower stream hit my sinus area helps. It's a little massage, the heat loosens things up, and the moisture in the air will help soothe your mucus membranes.
I'll probably end up doing that just before bed. My fan's wired into the lightswitch, unfortunately, but it doesn't work too well, so I think I can steam myself to near-oblivion. 
Another thing that's remarkably effective at clearing phlegm out of one's throat is alcohol. It's a very effective solvent. As long as you don't have any religious or other reason to avoid it, a small (1/4 ounce) sip of 80-proof spirits is very useful. (There's a reason cough syrup used to contain a significant dose of alcohol).
**I wouldn't do this if your throat is raw, however. That just hurts!
My go to sinus clearer is a shot of the cheapest whiskey I can find; and you have to let it linger in your mouth. I learned this by accident as a bar tender but I've sworn by it every since.
I frequently take a small shot of Jameson right before church. It clears the throat so I don't get all phlegmy when trying to sing the psalm.
Man after my own heart.

I've found the best way to sleep during a cold is to make a cup of lemon tea with honey and whiskey of your choice (mine is Jameson). Helps with the cough and you get sleepy enough to get through the night.
As for stupid questions, yesterday I had one for my eldest who is 12, in 7th grade and has a girlfriend. They have not kissed or hugged and he was complaining about pressure he gets from his male classmates to do so. They don't even hold hands, really.
So my question was this, and please know I wasn't pressuring him into doing anything physical he or she aren't ready for, but it's something I've wondered about in the past. What's the point of being boyfriend and girlfriend in middle school? I remember my brother had "girlfriends" at that age and they'd barely speak, let alone touch and never did anything together outside of school. Didn't even call each other.
It just seems to me that they're not much different than being good friends that happen to be of the opposite gender that happen to be attracted to each other.
He said "Yeah, that's about it."